Clay Aiken on "The View"

(Getty Images) I know in my heart of hearts that "The View" is the most terrible show on TV, but whenever I hear people talking about a particular segment on it, I can't help but check it out.

This morning was no exception, with Clay Aiken's appearance to promote his gig in Broadway's "Spamalot". I guess I must have always known this somewhere deep inside, but it suddenly became undeniably obvious that "30 Rock's" Kenneth is modeled on Aiken. Like Kenneth, Aiken is a strangely-endearing man-child, almost an idiot-savant whose not exactly ugly but hard to keep your eyes on for too long without getting creeped out. Unlike Kenneth's boundless positivity however, Aiken wears a big chip on his shoulder.

Watching Aiken is actually quite fascinating. He is a bona fide magnet for controversy (the Kelly Ripa vs. Rosie O'Donnel debacle; his mid-flight fight with some aging claymate; his recent spat with a Newsweek reporter, etc etc) and this seems to have made him weary and resentful of the price of fame, if you will. I thought he was going to retire and be a Special Ed teacher or something, but I guess he just can't say no to the good life...and all that entails...now that he's learned the hard way to stay off MySpace.

Anyways, here he is, rightfully mocking his Claymates (all 50-year old housewives who probably comprised the Barry Manilow fan clubs back in the day), showing off a new color hair, and choosing his words very carefully. Enjoy.

Oh, and just for fun, here is a clip from an LA news station's stab at MTV's "Cribs". It's from four years ago, and at first I thought Clay must have bought a house "back home", and that's why it's such a painful segment. But no, it's in LA, and it must have been the news producer's first experience with a "celebrity".  The house is ugly, empty, and when Clay shows his shoe collection...forget it, just watch and writhe along.

Comments

[Gary]

You should write for gaytvblog! You twist the barest of facts to suit your agenda almost as well as your equally twisted brothers.